Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Artist: Operation: Mindcrime
Label: Frontiers Records
Release: 2017
Length: 57:56
Rating: 3/5
The third part of a concept about a man who finds a key that lets him change reality. Which means he can change the world for the better, too. Luckily he’s a good guy who actually earns his ownership of the miraculous object, since he does good deeds. Because he’s good, he has to walk a thorny path, but because he’s steadfast and determined, he can beat every fear and obstacle, following his dreams and his vision. In short, all’s well that ends well. A concept that’s sci-fi, post-apocalyptic and inspired by the film The Matrix.
Behind this conceptual trilogy stands the famous singer and musician Geoff Tate, known as the very definition of the lead throat on the most celebrated classic albums by Queensryche. What we hear on the third part, Geoff already started putting into practice fifteen years ago with Queensryche. Still, by moving under the wing of a new band, or rather its lineup, he’s had an easier time justifying the new artistry he uses in his musical expression, the very thing that ultimately forced him to leave Queensryche.
What we’re dealing with is a special kind of art rock that sounds unusual, peculiar, you could even say one of a kind. That’s its strength. But the reason it comes across as the least interesting of all three most likely lies in the fact that it was made in barely a year and Geoff finally ran out of ideas, even though there’s almost an hour of new music here. You feel it especially in the second half of the album, which turns completely »cerebral«, with its experimental side taking over entirely, and where you’d want at least one sharp, pissed-off catalyst of roaring guitars to bring some adrenaline rush back into the album’s closing stretch. In this part the instrumental section nearly steals the spotlight from the vocals. Unbelievable.
Still, this album deserves a chance too. Even though metalheads would long ago have preferred that Geoff, a wine lover and winemaker, stick strictly to his vineyard business and leave music alone, the music he makes with Operation Mindcrime remains hugely interesting and, in that respect, good enough quality. Sadly, in recent years the man has become a merciless target for critics, all those who look in this newly created music for family ties to the classic Queensryche albums, which are gone. Only Tate’s vocals, the backing vocal harmonies and the occasionally chosen vocal melodies of certain tunes still recall the Queensryche days. Of course, those melodies are dressed in a completely different arrangement, songwriting and production outfit than the ones you remember from when Tate was singing with Queensryche. So RockLine once again finds itself defending Tate’s new artistry, which really isn’t bad and gets a raw deal when plenty of critics worldwide literally tear it apart in their reviews.
So once again, you shouldn’t listen to the album as if you want to hear bits of Rage for Order, The Warning or (better I don’t even mention it) Empire or Operation: Mindcirme at all costs. You have to take it as if you didn’t know the big, prominent names standing behind it and signing off on it. That way it’ll hit you more easily. It’s an art rock album mixed from all kinds of influences. From pop, low-tuned, sludgy alternative rock tunes with gloomy, twisted guitars, where programmed loops deepen the dark and obscure moods and the sheer drama theater, to progressive touches that you can pick up as the album unfolds and develops. These excursions are often laced with rollings, which is very welcome for the dynamic shake-up of how things develop. The whole thing is backed by keyboard arrangements that can sound orchestral and create a sense of grandeur, even though this is a truly dark album. Geoff picks up the saxophone again too, which deepens the album’s pop-art touches. In the production it’s not hard to pick out the punchy, warmly organic and melodically well-used bass of Disturbed member and bassist John Moyer. In the first part of the album, the rhythm section does the bulk of the dynamic shake-up. Otherwise the album carries a strong sense of trying things out and musical experimentation, and as a result a feeling of spontaneity and stylistic carefreeness creeps in. On one hand that guarantees the album’s distinctiveness, but on the other it can even be read negatively, as a lever behind which Tate and his crew, lacking real musical ideas this time around, are hiding more than ever in the group’s otherwise short-lived era.
So. The album deserves a chance, even though, as I said, it offers the least in terms of substance compared to the previous two. But at least the album cover is finally decent.
Operation Mindcrime – Under Control (official lyric video):
Lineup
Geoff Tate – vocals, saxophone, backing vocals
Kelly Gray – guitar, backing vocals
Scott Moughton – guitar, keyboards
Randy Gane – keyboards
John Moyer – bass guitar
Brian Tichy – drums
Simon Wright – drums
Production
Kelly Grey & Geoff Tate
Track list
01. A Head Long Jump
02. Wake Me Up
03. It Was Always You
04. The Fear
05. Under Control
06. The New Reality
07. My Eyes
08. A Guitar In Church?
09. All For What?
10. The Wave
11. Tidal Change
12. The Same Old Story
